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The Conservation Significance of the Biota of Barrow Island, Western Australia

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The Conservation Significance of the Biota of Barrow Island, Western Australia Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 102: 98–133, 2019 The conservation significance of the biota of Barrow Island, Western Australia A. JASMYN J. LYNCH 1*, RoBert J.S. BeeToN 2 & PeNeLoPe GReeNSLADe 3,4 1 Molonglo Conservation Group, Fyshwick ACT 2609, Australia 2 School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072, Australia 3 Centre for Environmental Management, School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University, Ballarat Vic. 3353, Australia 4 Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton ACT 2601, Australia * Corresponding author: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract Offshore islands are often important in conservation because of the presence of locally endemic species and for acting as refuges for native wildlife from the impacts of invasive species and inappropriate development. Barrow Island, a small, semi-arid island off the Pilbara coast of north- western Australia, has maintained the integrity of its terrestrial and aquatic biota despite sporadic incursions by invasive species and the operation of commercial oil extraction and liquified natural gas processing for over 50 years. We collate information from a wide range of sources to provide a framework to inform the ongoing management of the terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora species that have conservation significance on the island. These include endemic flora and fauna; species listed as threatened by state, national and international authorities; species that are rare or extinct in other parts of their original range; species of biogeographic significance; and migratory birds and marine fauna of national and international significance. In addition, Barrow Island has been of value in acting as a source area for translocations of vulnerable and endangered mammal species that have been eradicated in other parts of their range. The many species with conservation significance and their use in successful translocation programs demonstrates the island’s national and international importance for conservation. In addition, Barrow Island provides exemplary opportunities for research on effective co-management of development and conservation, on mitigation and prevention of the invasion and impacts of exotic species, and on the influence of historical biogeographic processes on the distributions and evolution of biota. Keywords: island conservation, endemism, rarity, migratory fauna, invasive species, biogeography Manuscript received 11 October 2018; accepted 9 September 2019 INTRoDUCTIoN (Phillip Island, Victoria; Burrup, Western Australia; Fig. 1) are connected to the mainland by artificial causeways. Barrow Island (20°47′52.8″S, 115 24′21.6″E; Fig. 1) off the During periods of lower sea-levels, they were separated coast of north-west Western Australia is one of Australia’s from the mainland by coastal plains, mudflats or swamps most important island sanctuaries. Its significance has (Kirkwood & Johnston 2006; Stankowski & Johnson 2014). long been recognised with its declaration in 1910 as a Likewise, there are more plant species on Barrow Island ‘Class A’ Nature Reserve, the highest level of protection than on various other offshore arid or semi-arid islands available under Western Australian legislation. Although of similar size (Main & Yadav, 1971; Table 3). Endemic this small, semi-arid continental island covers just 236 species, subspecies and forms have developed on the 2 km and is located 56 km offshore, it has many resident island (Buckley 1983; Driskell et al. 2002) but inbreeding and migratory taxa of conservation significance, and a depression has been detected in some taxa (Eldridge et relatively high diversity of terrestrial fauna and flora. al. 2004). Only 11 (2%) of 512 Australian islands contain more mammal species than Barrow Island and most (9) of Conservation and development co-exist on Barrow those 11 islands are larger in area (Abbott & Burbidge Island. Commercial oil-production industry began on the 1995; Burbidge & Abbott 2017; Tables 1, 2). Three smaller island in 1964 and in 2009 liquefied natural gas (LNG) islands with the same or more native mammals than processing facilities were established to process gas from Barrow Island are located much closer to the mainland. the Gorgon reservoir, 70 km to the north-west of the Of these, Augustus Island (Fig. 1) lies within 6 km of island (Fig. 1). Ongoing expansion of sub-sea gas drilling Western Australia’s mainland, whereas the other two and transfer infrastructure from the Gorgon gas fields will sustain the LNG project for a lifespan of 40 years (Chevron 2018). Multi-purpose land-use on the island has been enabled by a strict quarantine and environmental management programme with regular surveillance and © Royal Society of Western Australia 2019 monitoring for invasive species (Burbidge 1999; Burbidge A.J.J. Lynch et al.: Conservation significance of Barrow Island biota Elevation (m) 400 300 200 100 20° 0 –20 Gorgon –50 gasfield MONTEBELLO –100 ISLANDS –200 elago –500 Hermite I er Archip –1000 Dampi rrup LOWENDAL IS u –2000 B Varanus I Dampier Peninsula BARROW Boomerang I ISLAND Karratha 50 km F L E Boodie I H 21° S T S E Airlie I W H T Thevenard I R O N Onslow Exmouth Area 22° Bigge l Exmouth Augustus l Gulf Rowley Shoals Kimberley Doole I Pilbara o Reef World Heritage Carnarvon Cape Range Shark Bay Ningalo Perth Figure 1. The location 114° 115° 116° 500 km of Barrow Island within Western Australia. & Manly 2002; Greenslade et al. 2013a, 2013b; Scott et the state authority in which the nature reserve is vested al. 2017). The recent opening of a university science (Conservation Commission of Western Australia 2003), the centre on the island will support further research into Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority environmental protection and industrial development in (2009), and a former senior state government scientist fragile ecosystems (Perera 2018). (ABC Radio National 2009). Stringent environmental Like Barrow Island, other areas of Western Australia conditions were imposed on the developers (Chevron, are subject to rapid development for extraction and ExxonMobil and Shell), including quarantine controls export of mineral and gas resources. For example, on all materials and personnel travelling to the island, several major offshore LNG projects have commenced in regular surveillance for exotic species, and a requirement recent years (Environmental Protection Authority 2007; for compliance with over 20 environmental management Government of Western Australia 2017). The petroleum plans. Additional commitments from the developers industry is the state’s second-most economically included conservation undertakings worth approximately valuable industry and offshore LNG is the most valuable AUD$150 million and funding to enable Department petroleum product, accounting in 2017 for $14.9 billion of Environment and Conservation staff to be based on (Government of Western Australia 2017). The North the island for management of any impacts on marine West Shelf, where Barrow lsland is located, produces conservation over the life of the project (Department of approximately 59% of the state’s oil and 93% of its gas State Development 2009). (Department of Environment and Conservation 2006). The agreement of the consortium reflects the high The establishment of LNG processing facilities on economic value of the regional LNG reserves but Barrow Island required approval from the Western also Barrow Island’s high national and international Australian and Australian governments. Approvals conservation significance. The flora and fauna (except were granted in 2007 and 2009, despite opposition from for some invertebrate groups) were well known because 99 Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 102, 2019 Table 1 Australian islands with equivalent or greater number of extant (and extinct) native and exotic or introduced mammals compared to Barrow Island, ranked by area (data from Abbott & Burbidge 1995; Burbidge & Abbott 2017). Island Area (ha) No. native species No. non-native species Phillip Island, Vic* 10 116 16 (+1 extinct) 10 (1 now absent) Burrup (Murujuga, Dampier Is), WA* 11 804 15 (+1 extinct) 5 Moreton Island, Qld 17 021 10 5 Bigge Island, WA 17 128 9 0 Bribie Island, Qld 17 500 12 2 Augustus Island, WA 18 929 13 0 Barrow Island, WA 23 569 13 2 (2 eradicated) North Stradbroke Island, Qld 26 344 17 3 Vanderlin Island, NT 27 690 11 5 Hinchinbrook Island, Qld 31 756 18 4 (2 now absent) Bruny Island, Tas 36 735 15 8 (1 now absent) Cape Barren, Tas 46 220 9 (+2 extinct) 5 King Island, Tas 109 100 13 (+4 extinct) 9 Flinders Island, Tas 135 900 15 (+2 extinct) 8 (1 now absent) Bathurst Island, NT 169 300 14 3 Fraser Island, Qld 165 280 2 3 (1 now absent) Groote Eylandt, NT 228 500 28 1 Kangaroo Island, SA 442 000 18 (+4 extinct) 13 (3 now absent) Melville Island, NT 578 000 21 4 Tasmania 6 452 000 33 (+1 extinct) 12 *Burrup and Phillip Island are coastal islands linked to the mainland by causeways. Burrup is also connected at low tide. Bigge Island is about 6 km offshore of sponsorship from the Western Australian Petroleum to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Exploration Company, which has operated oil wells over Environmental Review and Management Programme the southern part of the island since 1964. However, (Draft EIS/ERMP; see Chevron Australia, 2005) prepared intermittent surveys of fauna have been undertaken for the federal Department of the Environment and only since 1991; e.g. sampling of the stygofauna (aquatic Heritage and the Western Australian Environmental fauna living within groundwater systems) and troglobitic Protection Authority. The EIS documented the known fauna (air-breathing subterranean fauna living in caves, biological and physical resources of the island, including cavities and fractured rock; Humphreys et al. 2013). The the vegetation, floristics, vertebrate fauna, cave fauna government response to Chevron Australia’s (2005) draft (troglophytes and stygofauna), invertebrates, and marine environmental impact statement was that extensive flora and fauna.
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